PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'Larimar: Gem of the Sea' Christine E. Schulze⭐ #Larimar #interview @authorCESchulze

 

Christine E. Schulze has been living in castles, exploring magical worlds, and creating fantastical adventures and romances since she was too young to even write of such stories. Her collection of young adult and children’s fantasy books, The Amielian Legacy, is comprised of series and stand-alone books that can all be read separately, but also weave together to create a single, amazing fantasy.

One of her main aspirations for The Amielian Legacy is to create fantasy stories with characters that connect with readers from many different backgrounds. Her current focus is to include racially diverse characters and those with disabilities. The latter is inspired by Schulze working with adults with autism and other developmental disabilities at Trinity Services in Southern Illinois.

Schulze draws much of her inspiration from favorite authors like Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Diana Wynne Jones, favorite games like The Legend of Zelda, and especially from the people in her life. Some of her exciting ventures include the publication of her award-winning Bloodmaiden, as well as The Gailean Quartet with Words Matter Publishing. Her books for younger readers include In the Land of Giants and The Amazing Captain K.

Christine currently lives in a cozy Hobbit hole, but you can visit her on her website: http://christineschulze.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tiktok

 

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

One of the things I love about writing fantasy is that overall, it doesn’t require a lot of research. I’m creating my own world, characters, races, magic, creatures, histories, and so on, allowing my imagination to be boundless. That said, when I do need research, such as how castle staff might operate or how certain weapons work or what kind of dragons I want to include, my research is always fun and filled with fascinating topics.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I’ve mostly self-pubbed but have done a bit of both. For my self-published books, I’ve worked with an amazing editor, Kira Lerner, for years. She has truly helped me to train my mind to develop more complex and cohesive characters and stories. I’ve worked with other great editors too, to give my readers the best experience. Quality is exceptionally important to me in everything I do. I do also currently have a YA/NA fantasy series, The Gailean Quartet, published with a small press, so that’s been a newer experience for me.

If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?

I used to have a few ebooks published with Writers-Exchange E-publishing. It was a positive experience, but ultimately we parted ways and I have since re-published the books I had with them. Through that experience, I met Laura Shinn, whom I have since hired for many years now to format my ebooks. She taught me how to format print, which I can now easily do myself, but I’ve stuck with her for ebook formatting as that can be tricky and involve attention to many more little details. She does such a great job, doesn’t charge high fees, and it works for both of us.

If self-published, did you hire someone to format the ebook version for you or did you do it yourself?  Can you tell us what that was like?

I used to have a few ebooks published with Writers-Exchange E-publishing. It was a positive experience, but ultimately we parted ways and I have since re-published the books I had with them. Through that experience, I met Laura Shinn, whom I have since hired for many years now to format my ebooks. She taught me how to format print, which I can now easily do myself, but I’ve stuck with her for ebook formatting as that can be tricky and involve attention to many more little details. She does such a great job, doesn’t charge high fees, and it works for both of us.

If self-published, how did you determine the price? 

Many of my books are self-published. Most of them are in the $3.99 or $4.99 range, which is pretty standard. I do offer a short story for $.99, which seems fair considering the length, and Larimar: Gem of the Sea for $2.99 as the first in the series. I’m published through Amazon, and they charge a delivery fee for ebooks, and that fee increases with larger file sizes. So, if I do any books with a lot of illustrations, like One Starry Knight, I may have to charge a bit extra in order to make any profit. I try to keep things as fair as possible while also making a profit, as I would ultimately love to write full time. I don’t want my books to be unnecessarily expensive and inaccessible to readers. For print, I also try to be as fair as I can, though that’s a whole other beast. That said, printing costs have recently increased (yay, inflation!), so if you see the price of mine and other authors’ books go up by a dollar or two, know that’s likely why, not because we want to.

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

For my most recent release, I did. The audiobook edition of Larimar: Gem of the Sea came out on April 20^th, 2023, which is my birthday. I figured, why not? What a fun thing to do, to have a book release on my birthday. Readers have really been enjoying the audiobook edition. My narrator, Jocelyn Duford, brings each character uniquely to life, and she also sings the two little songs I wrote inside the book.

How did you choose your cover?

For Larimar and other books in the series, I’ve used multiple artists over the years with different styles. I love original art, a sort of painted, whimsical feel, as my books are quite whimsical and magical. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to combine all my stand-alone titles into a single collection for readers. Having done so, I used another artist who was able to create the borders and update the fonts so that, even with the unique art on each, they have a cohesive series look to them.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

I don’t usually revise as I go, unless perhaps it has to do with the story itself needing to change. But I’m not one to line edit as I go along, as I think that would slow me down. Best for me to just get the story from my head to the page, then go back for several rounds of edits later. I don’t always write in order either. I may create an outline of what I want to happen start to finish, but if I’m inspired to write a scene from the end of the book before the beginning, then that’s what I’ll do.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?

I have made some fancy bookmarks that match each book in The Amielian Legends. I haven’t used them just yet, but I’d eventually like to be able to offer autographed copies of my books on my website, which would each include a matching bookmark. That’s not a project likely in the near future, as I’ve got many other things on the horizon, but it’s on my radar to accomplish at some point.

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I haven’t found this to work well, in my experience, though I’m still new to the world of marketing and still have loads to learn. That said, I do include a couple free short stories with my author newsletter, and I feel like that can be a valuable way to give readers a sample of my writing. I’ve asked readers, and some love receiving stories and excerpts, while others don’t and would prefer just learning the behind-the-scenes on how I create my books and characters. Different readers have different preferences, so I’ve been trying a bit of everything with my newsletter to find out what they like. 

What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

Have a plan! I’ve never had a plan before because of a lot of my currently published titles first happened when I was younger and didn’t know better. They’ve since been majorly revamped with professional editing and covers, but I never did a proper re-release. I have a few books planned, including two omnibuses of one of my series and a brand-new YA fantasy stand-alone. For those, I’m going to study, develop a plan, find my readers beforehand, and do my best to hype the books before they come out. And I’m going to set pre-orders, which I did for my audiobook edition of Larimar, and it worked out well.

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?

For the Larimar audiobook, I talked about the book in my newsletter, made several videos on Tiktok, and posted to other social media. It was my first time doing a pre-order and also my first time making several sales the day a book released, so the proof is in the pudding. Reaching readers before a book comes out works. I just need to keep going and get better at it.

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

I’d love readers to know that if they love adventure, magic, diverse characters, romance without any on-screen spice that my books might be their perfect next read! Especially if they love stories along the lines of Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Legend of Zelda, or Howl’s Moving Castle. I’d also love to encourage readers to check out my newsletter, where you can learn more about my books and also pick up a couple of free stories. You can do that here: https://www.authorchristineschulze.com/newsletter. If you do sign up, feel free to reply to any of the emails I send out, or you can send me a message on my website. I love hearing from readers and do my best to reply to everyone who reaches out to me.

Inside the Book

 

Title: Larimar: Gem of the Sea
Author: Christine E. Schulze
Publisher: KDP Publishing
Pages: 140
Genre: YA | Fantasy

A Fearless captain and a mysterious girl who walks on water. An underwater city and a destined deadly curse. What could possibly go wrong?

Captain Jorah is renowned for being one of the youngest explorers to ever sail Zephyrian waters. He’s also notorious for landing his crew in situations they hadn’t counted on, involving man-eating mermaids and other dangerous misadventures.

When Jorah decides to search for the legendary underwater City of Larimar, he doesn’t account for the quest that follows. After being rescued from shipwreck by a mysterious young woman who walks on water and carries a singing seashell around her neck, he soon finds himself reunited with an old friend once thought lost to him. Before he knows it, he’s caught up in a race against time to save her yet again, this time from a looming prophecy about a deadly serpent destined to consume her entire race.

Can Jorah help her save her people before the dark prophecy completes itself?

The Amielian Legends is a collection of stand-alone young adult books, all set in the same fantastic universe, that can be read in any order. Read Larimar: Gem of the Sea today to discover new worlds filled with adventure, diverse characters, and whimsical magic.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/44u4tQY 

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Larimar-Gem-of-the-Sea-Audiobook/B0BZDYVKWY

 

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'Altered' Rob Kaufman⭐ #Altered #interview

 

Rob Kaufman novels are known for having characters with whom people can relate, while at the same time, bringing them on a journey from which most people would crumble.

His degree in Psychology was the first step toward getting beneath the surface of the people in his life. What followed was a lifelong search for what makes people tick – what forces them to become evil when deep down they are yearning for love. Rob’s characters walk this search with him, deep into the human psyche, creating psychological thrillers from everyday events.

Rob’s books are perfect for those who enjoy thrillers but also need strong emotion to keep them deeply involved with the characters.

“All my books hit home for me,” says Rob. “There are always pages parts that make me laugh out loud as I write them… and many, too many, that make me cry. And the great thing is, I’m finding that many readers of my books experience the same emotions.”

Rob’s books receive both national and international praise with most reviews noting that his storylines are extremely “unique” and “sobering” and the twists and turns are “masterful”.

Website or Blog:  www.authorrobkaufman.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AuthorKaufman

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobKaufman

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/745558.Rob_Kaufman

 

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself? 

 

Most of the research I did involved “Dissociative Identity Disorder” (DID), most commonly known as multiple personalities. I had to make absolutely certain that any actions taken and words used by Frank Devlin (the character with DID) was accurate and had precedence. I also wanted to be sure that people understand DID is a mental health disorder and so I was intent on not characterizing Frank as “crazy”, like movies so often do.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub? 

 

Self-published because it gives me more freedom to market as I please and connect with my readers easier.

 

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?

I wanted to release after the holidays, when people were less busy and had more time to sit back and enjoy a new book. 

How did you choose your cover? 

I worked with a cover designer in the UK who had worked with a friend of mine. He provided options. When I saw the one I’m using, I loved it at first sight. It was perfect for the topic of DID.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went? 

I wrote a chapter and then revised it the next day. I continued doing that with each chapter until the end. Then I reviewed and revised the entire book two more times before sending it to the editor. Then I revised it again based on her edits and recommendations.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book? 

No swag.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link? 

https://youtu.be/71cLhKYBlzE

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book? 

Giving away a certain amount of copies works when you have other books in your pipeline. When readers enjoy one of your books and style of writing, they typically enjoy reading your other books. Giving away books to sell that same book doesn’t work very well… at least in my experience.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released? 

Research – if any of the subject matter is new or foreign to them.
Edit/Proofread – Make certain your book is properly edited and proofread. Indie books get a bad rap because many authors release unprofessional books. Therefore, it’s a must, for the author and the industry as a whole, to release books that have as minimal errors as possible.

Get opinions – Find ARC readers who will read your book and provide an HONEST opinion. Friends and family are a good start, but they may be biased. That’s why it’s imperative to have a group of people who don’t know you (and vice versa) who will tell you what they truly think and provide thoughts and recommendations.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released? 

Market – Make sure you follow the marketing plan you put in place before release. Watch your ad sales, conversion rates and royalties every single day so you know what ads/promos are working and which aren’t.

Connect – Stay connected with your readers. Respond to any comments they post on your ads, send out a newsletter or “hello” to your followers/mailing list, let your readers know getting sales isn’t your only goal – making readers happy and satisfied is number one priority.

Start writing your next book – While sales are up and people are excited about your new book, start writing your next one. If the one you just released is good enough, they’ll be waiting for the next one. So start now!

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?

I did promotions with about 12 book promotion sites (a pre-release) and sent an email out to my subscribers. That was a month before release. I will do the same a week before… just in case someone was missed. 

Do you have a long term plan with your book? 

This novel is Book One of a three part series. It’s my first series and from the emails I’ve been getting, people are looking forward to Book Two. The long-term plan is to sell them as a package instead of individually so that people can enjoy them all at once. 

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

I’d like to say “thank you” to people who read my books. I’m not sure if they understand it's an honor for an author (at least for me) that someone takes time out of their day, or night, to read the words I put on paper. Sure, I struggle to get it right, to make sure they stay interested, to keep them on their toes so they can’t wait to get to the next chapter – but without them reading what I write, the struggle is useless. So I can only say “thank you” and I hope you keep enjoying my work.

 

 

Inside the Book

When Frank Devlin walks into Justin Wright’s office, the renowned New York City clinical psychiatrist decides to take on one of the most challenging cases of his career.

After their first session, it’s obvious Frank has multiple personalities (“alters”) and each one couldn’t be more different than the other. Justin must get to know each individual alter in order to discover the best route to take so that Frank can live a full and happy life. He must also delve into Frank’s past, one filled with mystery, darkness and trauma — the true causes behind his personality split.

As Justin deals with Frank’s issues, he’s also confronted with his own demons: the kidnapping of Michael, his youngest son, seven years earlier… a wife he adores, Mandy, who refuses to accept her son is gone… a constant struggle with his oldest son, Dylan, who was watching over Michael the day the boy was taken. And his problems get worse as, unbeknownst to Justin, Frank and his alters are secretly weaving themselves into his life in ways that will affect the Wright family forever.

A suspense-filled story driven by emotion, angst and the ultimate revenge, “Altered” brings readers down a twisted path of uncertainty and mind games ­— leaving them shocked, heartbroken and questioning what could possibly come next… 

“Crazy-good plot lines and shocking information that had me gasping for breath at every turn!” – Anne F., Amazon Vine Reviewer

“It was an amazing ride with tension building throughout until the final twist ending.” – Patricia G., NetGalley Reviewer

Release Date: November 15, 2022

Soft Cover: ISBN:979-8358757523; 329 pages; $13.99; Kindle $7.99; FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BlpCjs 

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'The Siren's Scream' Thomas White⭐ #TheSirensScream #interview

 

Thomas White began his career as an actor. Several years later he found himself as an Artistic Director for a theatre in Southern California and the winner of several Drama-Logue and Critics awards for directing. As Tom’s career grew, he directed and co-produced the world tour of “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out Of Their Shells”. The show toured for over two years, was translated into seven different languages and seen by over a million children. Tom served as President and Creative Director for Maiden Lane Entertainment for 24 years and worked on many large-scale corporate event productions that included Harley Davidson, Microsoft, Medtronic Diabetes, and dozens of others. The Siren’s Scream is Tom’s second novel that follows up Justice Rules which was nominated as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2010 Literary contest.

Tom’s latest book is the mystery/horror, The Siren’s Scream.

Visit his website at www.thomas-white-author.com or connect with him at Facebook.

 

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

At first, I did very little research. I was re-working the mermaid mythology and had a pretty good understanding of it and the direction I took required me creating more of the mythology. However, once I got into the story, I had to do quite a bit of research on the early 20^th century in regard to architecture, fashion and everyday life.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I vehemently pursued publishers for my first book. I had a file of almost 70 rejections. Along the way I went through 3 literary agents, all of whom had faith in me and all of whom left the business for marital reasons, 2 marriages and one divorce. Finally, I self-published and the novel, Justice Rules ended up as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association Literary Contest, one of 8 finalists out of 2,800 submissions. I ended up selling almost 3,500 copies and when I went back to those same publishers, nothing. My favorite response was, “If you had sold 10,000 we might be interested. I thought, if I had sold 10,000 I wouldn’t need them! With The Siren’s Scream I skipped the frustration and went directly to self-publishing.

If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?

One of my strongest beliefs about self-publishing is maintaining the professionalism of the craft. You have to put out a professionally edited and crafted book. The great thing about self-publishing is that authors who deserve to be read can get their work out there, the bad part, anyone who has written sixty pages about their summer vacation can also get out there. It is up to the author to maintain the highest standard of publication. So, to answer the question, yes, I hired a company that helped edit, correct grammar, design a book cover and create a web site. I was VERY dissatisfied with the results. I ended up re-designing the cover myself, editing their mistakes in editing, and having a ton of trouble moving forward with the process. They did create a nice web page, that I mostly designed myself, but next time around I will do things differently. They finally got my work up online for sale but I am still dealing with them for the errors that were made and not yet corrected. Next time I will subcontract each of these elements and put it together myself.

If self-published, how did you determine the price?

I went shopping. There are so many different organizations out there and my feeling was that they were preying on each author’s ego to get the book done. I thought I had found a trustworthy group but I was very wrong. Will not use these services again.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

I re-wrote this book probably 15 time. I started it 20 years ago, re-wrote it, finished it, re-wrote it again and finally shelved it. It was what I called, my practice novel. After I released my first novel, Justice Rules, I took another look at it. There was a decent story that was lacking a hook and the writing was awful. I scrapped the whole thing except the outline and re-worked it again. This time I was successful in creating something different and exciting with a nice ‘catch’.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link?

I didn’t hire anyone, I did it myself. I am the recipient of 7 Telly Awards as well as several other video production awards and have the programs and experience to do it myself. Here is the link. https://youtu.be/QlD-pdXYy

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I believe in getting my work out there to a point. I have donated copies to silent auctions and have given away copies to reviewers etc. I am not a fan of Kindle Unlimited. Having someone read my book for free and then more on down the line does nothing for me. I am looking for reviews and feedback along with the very distant possibility that I could make a living as a writer. Giving away my work does not really move me in that direction.

What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

The first and most important thing is to have your work professionally edited. It is the authors responsibility to maintain the professionalism of their work. The second thing is to create an eye-catching cover, something that not only tells you about the book but jumps off the self at you. The third thing is to create a strong online presence. A well-done website, online outlets such as Facebook, Twitter etc. are also a must. And along with this online presence there must be links to be able to buy the book. Every book sold moves you closer to making a living as a writer.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

The first and most important thing is to have your work professionally edited. It is the authors responsibility to maintain the professionalism of their work. The second thing is to create an eye-catching cover, something that not only tells you about the book but jumps off the self at you. The third thing is to create a strong online presence. A well-done website, online outlets such as Facebook, Twitter etc. are also a must. And along with this online presence there must be links to be able to buy the book. Every book sold moves you closer to making a living as a writer. 

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

What are the three most important things when buying real estate? Location, location, location. What are the three most important things to do after you’re published? Marketing, marketing, marketing. There are many different ways to do that but using all of them are very important. Services like PUYB are one of the most effective ways. Dorothy has created a virtual book tour that exposes your work to an entirely different audience than you will usually have.  The next most important thing is to continue to market! Do online interviews, get yourself invited to guest on podcasts and radio/TV broadcasts, promote your website every day. The third most important thing is to keep marketing, are you with me here? Don’t stop! Everyday do something that exposes your work to the world. You become a best-selling author one book at a time. Thomas-white-author.com

Do you have a long-term plan with your book?

I have been told my many that this will make a tremendous movie. How I can make that happen is a mystery right now but I am working in it. 

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

The Siren’s Scream is a fun thrill ride through an old mythology. You have never seen the lore of the siren that explains origins and motivation. Sirens sit on the rocks and with their song lure sailors to their death. Why do they do that? Are they mad at the sailors or just a murderous bunch? The Siren’s Scream lets you know why!

Inside the Book

Title: The Siren’s Scream
Author: Thomas White
Publisher: Savvy Books
Pages: 492
Genre: Mystery/Horror

An old mansion sits atop of a cliff, overlooking the ocean, in Santa Cruz, CA. A young realtor, Darcy Wainwright, manages to sell the dilapidated old house to Henry Childs, an obese nebbish who is obsessed with the property. In the backyard is a pool. Not an ordinary pool but a giant tide pool. In the tide pool is a siren with an evil agenda for revenge.

The Thornton Mansion was a talisman for the death and mystery that surrounded it. Unoccupied for years until Henry Childs was summoned by the house. As directed, he reached out to unsuspecting, novice realtor Darcy Wainwright. Darcy finds herself intricately involved with the house, its history and the haunting tide pool that filled the backyard. It was the pool that beckoned her, and it was the pool that would decide if she lives or dies. The Siren’s Scream. Available on Amazon.

Release Date: October 5, 2022

Publisher: Savvy Books

Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1088067819; 480 pages; $21.14

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TEz7kx

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sirens-scream-thomas-white/1142494493?ean=9781088067819

Purchase your copy at the author’s website: https://thomas-white-author.com/

 

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'THE KEY TO CIRCUS-MOM HIGHWAY' Allyson Rice⭐ @circusmomhwy #TheKeytoCircusMomHighway #interview

 

Allyson Rice is a writer, an award-winning mixed media artist, and a producer with Atomic Focus Entertainment, currently splitting her time between Los Angeles, CA, and Rehoboth Beach, DE. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. After spending many years as an actress on stage and on television, she left acting and spent the next decade running yoga/meditation retreats, women’s retreats, and creativity retreats around the country. After that, she pivoted to focus once again on her own creative work. In addition to her writing and art, she’s also a photographer (her work was most recently chosen for an exhibition at the Soho Photo Gallery in NYC).


Some random bits of Allyson trivia: 1) She’s been skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, ziplining through a rainforest, and scuba diving with stingrays; 2) she has an extensive PEZ dispenser collection; 3) she played Connor Walsh on As the World Turns for seven years; 4) she’s been in the Oval Office at the White House after hours; 5) she’s related to the Hatfields of the infamous Hatfield/McCoy feud; and 6) her comedic rap music video “Fine, I’ll Write My Own Damn Song” won numerous awards in the film festival circuit and can now be seen on YouTube https://youtu.be/7Xe3nuVDkC4.


Also available from Allyson Rice is her line of women’s coloring books (The Color of Joy, Dancing with Life, and Wonderland), and The Creative Prosperity PlayDeck, an inspirational card deck about unlocking and utilizing your creative energy in the world. She’s currently at work on her second novel and her fourth women’s coloring book. But she is most proud of being mom to musical artist @_zanetaylor.

Website: www.allysonrice.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CircusMomHwy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllysonRiceAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allysonriceauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/allysonriceart/

https://www.instagram.com/officialallysonrice/

My e-commerce site:

https://www.allyson-wonderland.com

 

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself? 

 

I didn’t do a lot of research before writing The Key to Circus-Mom Highway, except to see if there were many books written about family road trips. I did a huge amount of research during the writing of it. I went into it with not much more than a skeletal idea of what the plot was. I built it piece by piece by answering each next question that arose. 

Many of the answers to questions I asked opened up a direction that required research. I had to research distances and driving times and routes, Cajun words and phrases, southern foods, types of guns, details about alligators, types of herbs used by traitures in their healing work, whether there were any songs written about Jackie Onassis, how a military convoy is structured, pop culture references, types of Union memorabilia from the Civil War, the types of nocturnal birds and insects you would hear in October on a Louisiana bayou, early American flags and what they’d now cost, details about a haunted places tour in Savannah, and so many more things… Then I had to do a great amount of research tracking down the rights holders to various quotes and song lyrics to get permissions.

Once I finished the first draft using all of my virtual research, then I went on the road trip that the three siblings had to go on in the book, so I could take reference photos and collect notes about sensory details in all the locations to really bring them to life.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub? 

 

I would’ve loved to have pursued traditional publishers. But publishers only accept manuscript submissions from literary agents, and I had zero luck getting a lit agent to read the manuscript, even after sending over 100 query letters out. I really didn’t want to go the indie author route, because all of the book marketing and promotion is up to you. You have no traditional publishing “machine” behind you to help with sales, and to help line up reviews and interviews, and get your book placed in bookstores. But at a certain point, my desire to get my book out into the world became greater than my dread about marketing. And that’s the day I decided to do it myself, and learn whatever I needed to learn.

If published by a publisher, are you happy with the price they chose? 

 

Though I wasn’t published by a traditional publisher, I did get advice from someone in publishing about the pricing of the book. The woman I hired to do the professional proofreading was a fantastic editor. When I found out she also had seventeen years of marketing experience in the publishing world, I hired her and her business partner to help me with that. I had originally set the book price lower to be competitive, but she broke down how much I’d actually make from book sales at the lower price after all the costs were subtracted, and it was too little. So she convinced me to raise it by a few dollars, saying, “This is your work. You need to be able to make money from it.”

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why? 

 

I did! Originally, I thought I would release it in late August of 2022 before I moved out of L.A. But when I started working with Jessica and SarahBelle on marketing/promotion, one of the first things Jessica advised me to do was to focus on lining up editorial reviews, because “reviews sell more books than ads do.” And that a great sentence, or phrase, or even one word, from someplace like Kirkus Reviews or BookLife/Publisher’s Weekly can be added to your book jacket. 

Well, it was already July by this point, and she said that many places have a 3-4 month lead time for review submissions. A few places have a 6-month lead time. That’s when I moved the release date back. They suggested that even though I’d miss a possible sales bump over the holidays, to consider releasing it in January. They said that the big traditional publishing houses would be releasing a lot of their major books in the final pre-holiday months of the year, so there would be fewer major releases in January that I’d be up against in terms of competing for possible coverage in newspapers and magazines. That sounded like a good plan to me. 

And I ended up selling my condo and having to pack everything up and drive it all across the country in Sept and Oct, so I was VERY relieved not to be dealing with an earlier book release and promotion during all of that! And very relieved that Jessica and SarahBelle kept all of the outreach moving forward while I was overwhelmed with the move.

How did you choose your cover?

 

I designed the cover concept and gathered the images I wanted to use. Then I sat with a friend who’s a graphic designer and he assembled the pieces for me more quickly than I would’ve been able to do. I wanted a brightly colored cover that was reminiscent of a travel postcard, but with elements that were slightly “off.” Like the cluster of road signs that are all warning signs, and an alligator in the road. There are clues in the cover design about elements within the story.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went along? 

 

I totally revise as I go. I have loose plot points, but I feel like the actual book unfolds in front of me as I answer the basic questions that arise, and see how the characters react to events that happen, and as I ask myself, “What would make things more interesting right now?” and “What would catch the characters off-guard?” Because that’s what happens in life. We never really know what’s coming down the pike. As I add a new wrinkle, it often sends me back to earlier in the story so that I can set it up better, or tie it into another character’s backstory. I love how I’m constantly surprised as the story progresses. That’s part of the fun.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book? 

 

Special swag for my book?? Um… This is the first I’ve heard of “special book swag”! So, I guess that would be a no. (Note to self: Create special book swag for my next novel.) 

I’ve been creating several documents as I’ve gone through this whole writing and publishing process. I make notes about what I need to do and in what order and timeframe. Invariably, I learn about something else that I should’ve done but didn’t know about and missed my chance this time around. So I add it to the list for the next time. I’m at work on my next novel right now. Or, rather, I’ll be back to work on it after the bulk of post-release promotion eases up a bit.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link? 

 

Book Trailers were not on my radar either, but I signed up for a Virtual Book Tour with Pump Up Your Book, and part of the Silver package included a book trailer. Honestly, aside from all of the actual stops on the tour, there were also so many book graphics created for social media, along with the book trailer, as part of this PUYB Tour, it created incredible value for the cost. Here’s the trailer: https://youtu.be/L4y3lFNDevM

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book? 

 

I think it’s necessary at times. If you’re contacting bookstores to try and line up book signings, and they want a perusal copy before they commit to hosting you and ordering copies of your book for the event, absolutely. But be selective in terms of the stores. If you have to send a physical copy to a Bookstagrammer or a BookTok influencer, but they have a huge number of followers that will hear about your book, that’s a no-brainer. Just be careful about giving away too many copies where there won’t be a potential return on your investment, like all of your neighbors, or your third-cousin in Sheboygan (unless he’s a book blogger!) Most authors aren’t getting rich off of their books, so you need to weigh all factors.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

 

Like I mentioned earlier, line up editorial reviews! You can submit to places like Kirkus Reviews, and Publisher’s Weekly, and Foreword Reviews for free, but the chances of getting chosen for their limited spots (especially as an indie author) are slim. But all 3 of them have paid options. You’re not paying for a guaranteed good review–you could pay hundreds of dollars and still get a bad review–you’re paying for the guarantee of being reviewed. Personally, I think it’s worth the gamble. 

Create a dedicated author website. When someone first told me to do this, I was like, “Why can’t I just add my author info and book to my already existing https://allyson-wonderland eCommerce website?? Answer: Because if you want to be taken seriously as an author, you have to present yourself as a serious, dedicated author. You don’t want your book thrown into the pot with your artwork, and women’s coloring books, and handmade jewelry, etc. So now, in my bio on my dedicated author website, http://allysonrice.com,  I include a link to my other website if someone is interested in checking it out. But the focus of the author website is only author-y stuff. 

Because this is an area I’m still currently challenged in… I’d say start making a very concerted effort to expand your social media following on all the major platforms early on, while you’re still writing the book. Don’t be scrambling during the final busy weeks before and after your book launch, trying to catch up. This way you can take advantage of having a bigger following in place when you need it. Trust me on this. 

 

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released? 

 

I’m still discovering the answer to this because, as of this moment, my book just launched a few days ago. 

So far, the main thing I can advise is to double down on book promotion. If I’m being totally honest, I don’t enjoy spending lots of time on social media. I find it incredibly draining in terms of energy and time. Some people thrive on it. I’m not one of them However… when I start desperately wanting to get off the computer or wanting to throw my phone across the room, I remind myself how many years I spent writing and revising my, and how that kind of work and accomplishment deserves to have the best shot possible in terms of being discovered by readers. That keeps me going.

I would highly recommend signing up for a Virtual Book Tours. I learned about VBTs when I was trying to figure out how to get exposure for my book when I’m a debut author, so no existing fan base as a writer. Between the tour company itself, and all of the various bloggers they line up, it’s a way to increase your book’s social media exposure exponentially (and get you some more followers!) Just make sure you choose a company with an established track record and a large social media following of its own because it will attract better blogs.

A word of advice though. If you plan on doing multiple Virtual Book Tours, I wouldn’t suggest overlapping them. I hadn’t realized how much work/writing would be involved. Know that you will be answering a great deal of interview questions that need to be uniquely worded from blog to blog (no copying and pasting), and they shouldn’t be too brief. And you will be writing many guest blog posts, each btween 250-700 words. I have three tours going on simultaneously right now, and between those tours–which also include retweeting, reposting, and interacting with readers who’ve commented on your tour stop throughout the day–in addition to the actual writing, it’s nonstop from the minute I open my eyes in the morning until I fall asleep at night. 

Don’t get me wrong, this is a great problem to have! I’m extremely grateful for the tours, the organizers, the blog hosts, and the tour stop visitors I get to interact with.  I would just suggest that there’s a better way to organize it than the way I did it, and that would be focusing on only one tour at a time.

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out? 

 

I signed up for 6 months on NetGalley and did a paid promotion to have my book listed at the top of the page during Women’s Fiction Week. That’s when I got the most downloads.

Outreach emails were sent out by SarahBelle to people at magazines, newspapers, radio shows, libraries, local bookstores, blogs, podcasts, etc. They mentioned my background as an actress as well as my upcoming book. They included great review excerpts as they came in, and included a link to the digital media kit with the one sheet they created for me, an author photo, the book cover, and a pdf copy of the book. Having them do that outreach on my behalf felt to me like it added credibility – definitely better than me trying to contact media people to promote myself. I suggested focusing on the local outlets in Delaware where I was moving, and the West Virginia media since I was born there. With the debut novel combined with the old job on As the World Turns, it was definitely a “hometown girl makes good” kind of an angle. It worked. Some lovely feature articles have been written, and I’ve done interviews on podcasts and radio.

Meanwhile, I created dedicated Author accounts on social media, and I created Author pages on all the bookseller sites, and enabled pre-orders. (*I tried to figure out how to engage with readers on Goodreads, but I swear I cannot figure out that platform as a new author. Authors and readers seem to be very separated on that website. I even did a Giveaway of 50 ebooks on Goodreads, but you can’t even see who’s added your book to their “want to read” shelf in order to enter your Giveaway. If anyone has any advice about navigating Goodreads as an author, please share that info with me! I’m in the dark.)  

I also posted reviews on Facebook and Instagram as editorial reviews came in. And I posted short book excerpts on both platforms, mostly focusing on the funny supporting characters, and boosted them on a very small budget. There’s a funny backstory created for most of the supporting characters, and I would share some of those in order to introduce the comedic tone of the book and hopefully make people curious. And by “people” I mean all two of my followers. (So what if one of them is my mom?!? She’s my biggest fan!)

And, no, I wasn't posting on Twitter yet. I really procrastinated with Twitter because I’ve never been drawn to use that platform. I don’t really get how it’s effective for book sales. And I don’t really get how it works in general. I know it’s supposed to be very effective for authors, but I find the whole process on Twitter confusing and annoying. Hrumpf!

Do you have a long term plan with your book? 

 

Honestly, I haven’t been focused on the long-term plan yet. There haven’t been enough hours in the day to focus on all of it (largely due to the cross-country move in the middle of the process–I’m still not completely unpacked). I don’t have the money to keep doing paid promotional work. I have to finish paying off what I’ve already charged on credit cards. So once I can sit back and breathe for a moment, I’ll figure out how to get creative with the long-term book plan. 

(Watch my long-term plan end up being exclusively on Twitter because once I finally dive in I end up absolutely loving it. Wouldn’t that be ironic?! Hahaha)

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

 

First, if you’ve read this interview all the way to the end, thank you! I do consider it a great privilege to interact with current and future readers and fans. There are millions of good books out there to choose from, I know. So the fact that my book might be one that you choose to read at some point is very gratifying. If you read it, I hope you enjoy it! I hope it makes you laugh consistently throughout (and maybe tear-up at a couple of the more poignant moments). It was written with the intent of being a fast, fun read that ends on a hopeful note. The kind of book that I, myself, love to read!

I also want to mention to BOOK CLUB MEMBERS that if your Book Club happens to choose The Key to Circus-Mom Highway as one of your selections, I would be happy to make a Zoom appearance for an Author Q&A. I also created a “Suggested Topics” sheet I can send to you if you’re interested, and you can decide if you want to use them or not.

Also, anyone who goes to http://allysonrice.com and signs up for my periodic newsletter is entered into a chance to win a free copy of the book with every newsletter, as well as the possibility of having one of the funny supporting characters in my next novel named after you. Plus, random subscriber-only discounts for the other products I’ve created. Who doesn’t like discounted or free stuff, am I right??

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Inside the Book

Title: The Key to Circus-Mom Highway
Author: Allyson Rice
Publisher: The Total Human Press
Pages: 270
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Women’s Fiction

In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged sisters and their newly discovered brother embark on a comically surreal trip through the Deep South to retrace the life of the mother who abandoned them as infants.

On a Tuesday afternoon, sisters Jesse Chasen and Jennifer McMahon receive a phone call notifying them that their birth mother has died, leaving behind a significant inheritance. But in order to obtain it, they must follow a detailed road trip she designed for them to get to know her—and that includes finding a brother they never knew existed.

For the next week, this ill-assorted trio treks across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to meet their mother’s old friends, from circus performers to a juke joint owner, each of whom delivers a shocking vignette into the life of a young mother traumatized by loss and abuse. Along the way, these three siblings—Jesse, whose fiery exterior disguises a wounded, drifting musician stuck in a rut; Jennifer, whose carefully curated family life is threatened by her husband’s infidelity; and Jack, whose enigmatic Jackie, Oh! persona in the New Orleans drag queen scene helps him escape the nightmares of Afghanistan that haunt him at night—must confront their own demons (and at least one alligator). But in chasing the truth about their real mother, they may all just find their second chance.

This uproarious debut novel is a reminder that sometimes, the family you’d never have chosen may turn out to be exactly what you need.

“This breezy, charming tale incisively shows a family’s bittersweet facets.” –Kirkus Reviews

A “feverish, entertaining novel” –Foreward Clarion Reviews

“In this rollicking family dramedy, debut author Rice sends three lovable siblings on a zany yet touching road trip… Rice’s sharp observations of society’s absurdity verge on the satirical… Fans of family drama, road trips, and non-stop laughs will love this cross-country adventure.” –BookLife

Release Date: Paperback: November 27, 2022; Kindle: January 3, 2023

Publisher: The Total Human Press

Soft Cover: 978-0982185544; 270 pages

Amazon:https://amzn.to/3XHsOiU 

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway-allyson-rice/1142037363?ean=9780982185544

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway 

Target: https://www.target.com/p/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway-by-allyson-rice-paperback/-/A-87939489

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62003645-the-key-to-circus-mom-highway